Sunday, January 25, 2009

Money Envy and Gambling

Proverbs 18 Money Envy and Gambling

Proverbs 18: 9 Whoever the is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. 10 The name of LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. 11A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.

1Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is a great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

Proverbs 10: 15 A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; the poverty of the poor is their destruction. 16 The labor of the righteous leads to life; the activity of the wicked leads to sin. 22-25“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.”

The Problem of Covetousness

The Provision Of A Castle

The Priorities that Count for The Person With Problems

Proverbs 6:1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbour or entered into an agreement with a stranger, 2 you have been trapped by the words of your lips— ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3 Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, for you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor. 4 Don’t give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. 5 Escape like a gazelle from a hunter, like a bird from a fowler’s trap.

6 Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise. 7 Without leader, administrator, or ruler, 8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest. 9 How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, 11 and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit.

Proverbs 24: 30 I went by the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense. 31 Thistles had come up everywhere, weeds covered the ground, and the stone wall was ruined. 32 I saw, and took it to heart; I looked, and received instruction: 33 a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, 34 and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit

Today we face a crisis in the economy. Last week Prime Minister Rudd told us that Australia cannot avoid a recession due to the economic slowdown in China. The USA anb great Britain are now talking about a Depression to rival the Great Depression. And its Australia Day. Our great grand parents lived through times of great Poverty. In fact their very determination in such times was instrumental in producing our nation. The 1792 famine in Sydney left most Australians in starvation.

Australian Gambling Statistics 2006 prepared by the Queensland Treasury. This data is not available on any website (why?) and costs $175 for the CD rom. It is the most comprehensive aggregate picture of gambling in Australia, providing consistent time series reporting since 1979-80. Gambling expenditure measures total losses while gambling turnover measures the total amount wagered. The figures for 2004-05 are surprising,1, Australians overall gambled $142 billion in turnover of which 72% was on gambling machines (pokies). In NSW, Victoria and Queensland gambling on pokies is about 90% of total wagering.2. The biggest gamblers on average in terms of turnover are in NSW ($11,880 per head),

3. Total gambling expenditure in Australia is about $16 billion with the average NSW citizen losing about $1336 annually to the pubs clubs etc, and not including the amount paid to the government in taxes which would about treble that amount.) .The majority of losses are on pokies - in NSW these comprise 71% of all losses, 4. Racing, Lotto and Casinos are fairly static or declining markets. They are small fry. The big growth area is pokies.

1. The Problem With Covetousness.

"A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions"—that's the point of Jesus' story. Why must he make it? Why must he remind us that possessions are temporal while life is eternal, that we must use the visible for the invisible, the material for the eternal?

The point would seem obvious. Despite all our medical advances, the mortality rate is still 100 percent. "Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27), the Bible bluntly reminds us. We know that "the world in its present form is passing away" (1 Corinthians 7:31). You've heard the saying: there are no U-Hauls attached to hearses or pockets in burial shrouds.

Yet we live as though it were not so. Western culture measures success by possessions and prosperity, and always has. The golden rule is simple: the one with the gold makes the rule. "The one who dies with the most toys wins," the t-shirt proclaims. Our culture has made prosperity the end and the means. But what we can see and own and spend is not enough for our souls. It never is.

Consider Ruth, a single mother in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, who began buying $5 worth of Illinois lottery tickets every week. She said that she needed these periodic "doses of hope" to counter her occasional feelings of depression. Then the miracle happened: Ruth won $22 million.

She was beside herself with joy. She quit her job wrapping gifts at Neiman-Marcus and bought an 18-room house, a Versace wardrobe, and a robin's-egg-blue Jaguar. She sent her twin sons to private school. Strangely, however, as the next year went by, her mood became more and more depressed. By the end of that year, her expensive new therapist diagnosed her as having a case of dysthymic disorder, or chronic depression (Authentic Happiness).

Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman, who wrote about Ruth, is the former president of the American Psychological Association and the author of twenty books in his field. His research indicates that once a person has the basic necessities of life, added money adds little or no happiness. He concludes: "Materialism seems to be counterproductive: at all levels of real income, people who value money more than other goals are less satisfied with their income and with their lives as a whole…." He finishes his sentence, "although precisely why is a mystery."

There was no mystery to Jesus. He warned us: Life does not consist in the abundance of our possessions.

The problem with gambling is the same problem with covetousness. It’s the desire to have more than we have through any means we can to achieve it.

The tenth commandment still reads “thou shalt not covet” And it I the same issue of covetousness that affects us all.

The root of this is a discontentment. 1Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is a great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9 But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and by craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

The root of this discontentment is :

The false belief that more money = more happy.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. 11 When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes?

The secret millionaire programme. Money isn’t everything. The poverty stricken elderly ladies saying how much better off they were than their parents.

The false belief that more money = more important.

Luke 12:15 He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”

The false belief that more money = more secure.

Prov 11:28 Anyone trusting in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage.

What is contentment? The Greek word means "self-sufficiency." For those of you who have studied some economics, it is the word we get "autarky" from. It was a word the Stoic philosophers used. Socrates -- who wasn't a Stoic, he predated them -- Socrates said this in response to a question about who was the wealthiest: "He who is content with the least -- for self-sufficiency is nature's wealth." Now, the Stoic philosophers had this idea that everything was determined outside of you, and the only thing you had control of was what was inside of you, your attitudes. And so you need to get your attitudes in line with this deterministic universe around you, and then you would be content despite what happens around you. Well, like in so many other ways, Paul takes this idea from secular philosophy, and then infuses it with God's wisdom. Paul is not saying here that we should be content because there is this deterministic universe out there -- bad things are going to happen to everyone, so we just need to get our will in line with the deterministic universe. No. Paul's idea is that God is in control of our lives. And whatever he wants us to do, he will provide us with the necessary resources to accomplish. Furthermore, true happiness comes not from building up resources, but true happiness comes from doing the will of God. So that is why Paul and Silas in chains in a Philippian jail were able to sing praises to God, and be content, self-sufficient, or -- perhaps better -- God-sufficient in that situation.

Proverbs 10:15 A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.) 16 The labor of the righteous leads to life; the activity of the wicked leads to sin. 17 The one who follows instruction is on the path to life, but the one who rejects correction goes astray.

F. B. Meyer once told the story of two men who wanted to climb the Matterhorn. They hired three guides and began the steep, treacherous climb. They were roped together: guide to traveler to guide to traveler to guide. They had gone only a little way when the last man lost his footing. He was held up by the other four, because each had a toehold in the niches they had cut in the ice. But then the next man slipped and pulled down the two above him. The only one to hold on was the first guide, who had driven a spike deep into the ice. Because he held on, all the men beneath him regained their footing.

The Provision Of A Castle

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected. 11 A rich man’s wealth is his fortified city; in his imagination it is like a high wall.

We need to know where real security and strength are found.

In a funny, yet sobering cartoon, a pastor stands before the congregation and says: “Before our morning offering, we’ll take a few quiet moments for you to use the ATM we recently installed in the back of the church.” Although money is important for the church, it is not the key resource that we need for life. Sometimes we thank that if we have enough money, our happiness will be impregnable. If we have enough money, the walls of our life will be fortified and our joy will be protected. But Solomon starts teaching us about God’s best for our lives (Prov 10:16-17). Simply put, money isn’t enough to have a life that stands in the storms. The “strong city” which stands “no matter what” is the name of the Lord. Jesus has to be the theme of our life. If the rich trust in their wealth, then circumstances that swirl on the stock market can quickly remove their strength. If wealth is the place of our trust, then we can quickly be defeated. If, however, my strength and trust for defense and safety is Jesus Christ, my “high tower,” then no circumstance can defeat me. Money’s power is fleeting. Christ’s power is eternal and unconquerable.

Real Security and Strength come from Christ

As we traverse the precipice of life, we find ourselves dangling high above the jagged rocks of ruin, hoping to grip tightly to a security that will hold us. For some, wealth and riches promises that strength. But such a rope is no real hope. Grasping prosperity, position, or personal pleasures is a certain slip to ruin. But Solomon teaches us that real security and strength come from the blessing of the Lord. “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.” (Proverbs 10:22-25, NKJV) The greatest blessing from the hand of God is Christ Jesus. He alone makes us rich. The way of wisdom is the way of security. The way of wisdom means that we depend upon Christ to take care of our life – all of it! All the money in the world can’t help us find the best in life. It is only through the blessings of the Lord that we find the resources needed to make our life complete. Through Him, we find security and strength.

Real Security in Christ leads to fulfillment, not fear I can remember when my parents would leave my older brother and I home alone. As two young boys, mischief would find its way into our thoughts and we would endeavor to pursue some path that Mum and Dad forbade. We would busy ourselves with our forbidden fruit, but after a while we would be caught with fear of being caught. Rather than having fun with the freedom Mum and Dad offered, we would be captured by fear. No fun. Just fear. Solomon tells us that the sport of sin can capture us, but the fear that our sin brings overwhelms our heart. On the other hand, the way of wisdom is the way of security. Our fears will be realized when we are living apart from God’s expressed will. That which we fear as we sneak in sin will be realized in our life. But when we walk in the center of God’s will, then He will satisfy our desires completely. When we walk in wisdom, we can feel safe because Jesus personally meets our needs.

Real Security in Christ makes me strong in tough times

In the final analysis today, real security and strength come from Christ. He makes us strong in the toughest times. When the whirlwind comes ripping through our world, we find security—a strong and eternal foundation for life—as we live in the plans that God has for us. If we live outside of God’s purpose, following the path un-connected from Christ, the Trailblazer of our faith, then we will certainly be swept away by the wild torment of the raging torrents.[

3. The Priorities that Count for The Person With Problems

Invest in the Right Things

Our passionate pursuit, therefore, must be to give ourselves to what God wants. That’s what Solomon means when he writes: “the labor of the righteous leads to life” (10:16). We must invest resources of time, energy, talent, and money in the pursuit of the right things – God’s purpose. This is the way of wisdom toward life. Invest in God’s purpose for life and find true wealth. Invest in the way of wickedness and find only loss and emptiness.It makes sense, then, to invest our life in righteousness. To invest in righteousness, we must hear and do what God says (10:17). As we follow God’s direction given through the presence of the Son through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in His Word, we take one more step toward life that is fulfilling, safe, and hopeful. The instruction of the Lord comes today to lead us to the very best life in the presence of Christ. I must receive it and obey it. If we reject the correction of the Lord, we will fall over the edge toward personal devastation. When we move away from righteousness, the Lord God lovingly corrects us. With each correction, we face the crossroads of decision once again. Will we follow the path that leads to folly, devastation, destruction, and death? Will we embrace the Lord of Love’s correction and walk once again toward life?Ann Landers once wrote: “Most of us would be willing to pay as we go if we could just finish paying for where we’ve been.” I know that if your household is like mine, finances are a primary concern. It’s a concern to God, too. He wants us to experience the very best in life as we climb to the Summit, but many times our money matters weigh us down and keep us from soaring. God gives us timeless counsel through the lips of the Sage to lead us out of financial woes into financial victory!1. Evaluate your finances. (Prov 6:1-2) 1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighboror entered into an agreement with a stranger, 2 you have been trapped by the words of your lips— ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3 Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, for you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.This proverb begins with a series of conditional phrases in which God asks us to evaluate our finances. The first phrase deals with my agreement to be responsible for indebtedness that is out of my control.[3] The second phrase points to the shaking of hands in pledge to a stranger.[4] The picture of the text is this: We pledge our resources to match our (or someone else’s) debts.[5] That’s not so bad, except when our debt is bigger than our resources. That’s not so bad, except when our debt robs us of money for the future and for the work of the kingdom of God. When we examine our finances, we need to evaluate if our words have placed our lives and our future in a snare.If that is your situation, pray this prayer to the Lord who wants to help you: “I know that I have arrived at my station because of the decisions I have made, but I pray right now that today might be a new beginning of integrity and righteousness and wisdom in my money.”The Lord gives us the approach to take. He says, “Do this!” 2. Ask for help. (Prov 6:3)First, we must humble ourselves! We need to throw ourselves at the feet of the one who holds our debt and ask for help. If we are to find our way out of the net, we must humble ourselves. If I am to find my way out of the net, I must humble myself. The Hebrew speaks of “rushing boisterously” into the room and begging my cause to my neighbor. In the context of the passage, I am to run to the person holding my debt and ask fervently for help. We don’t know if we can trust the stranger to help us -- that’s why it’s important to do business with believers! -- but we can trust the Lord! So, in humbling ourselves, we pray that Christ might be the Friend to whom we can turn right now to extricate us from our financial turmoil. We run to Him and trample ourselves in humility. We run to Him and boisterously plead our cause. If God tells us to do the same with the stranger, then do it!3. Work until you’re free. (6:4-5)Don’t sleep until you’re free! Give every ounce of energy and every part of pride to the future of your family. Ask the Lord to demonstrate His power and exalt His glory through the mess we’re in. Pray for Christ’s honor to be preserved and for Him to find pleasure in your finances once again. 4. Give to God the First-Fruits.Only when we get our thinking right about our possessions and profit will we experience the best in life.[1] When the Sage declared, “Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the firstfruits of all your increase” (Prov 3:9), he was teaching us about sacrifice on the summit. God wants to bless us so that “your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will overflow with new wine” (3:10). When we let go of our stuff, realizing that it comes from the Father anyway, then we will experience the best of life on the Summit of His abiding presence.2. My Money and Stuff can bring Honor to GodOswald Chambers helps us understand how God works when he magnificently defines sacrifice: Sacrifice in its essence is the exuberant passionate love-gift of the best I have to the One I love best.When I give myself and my money and my time and my resources to the Lord, He takes the sacrifice and makes it His and mine forever. He uses the sacrifice to bless my life and to increase His glory. When we think of God’s love for us through Christ, we want to honor Him with all our possessions and with the “firstfruits” of our profit. Gustave Dore, a celebrated illustrator and painter, was handed a painting of Jesus just finished by one of his students. Dore meticulously studied the painting and at last handed it back to the student, saying, “If you loved him more, you would have painted him better.”We must give all of ourselves to do all that we can to honor Christ with the best of ourselves each day that we live. Where does God fit in your financial portfolio?

How to recognize a Sluggard.

Proverbs 24: 30 I went by the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense. 31 Thistles had come up everywhere, weeds covered the ground, and the stone wall was ruined. 32 I saw, and took it to heart; I looked, and received instruction: 33 a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest, 34 and your poverty will come like a robber, your need, like a bandit

1. He refuses to begin a job.

(PROV 26:13-14) "THE SLOTHFUL MAN SAITH, THERE IS A LION IN THE WAY; A LION IS IN THE STREETS. {14} AS THE DOOR TURNETH UPON HIS HINGES, SO DOTH THE SLOTHFUL UPON HIS BED."

Some try to excuse this by saying that they work better under pressure.

Procrastination presumes upon God that we will have a tomorrow.

(JAMES 4:13-14) "GO TO NOW, YE THAT SAY, TO DAY OR TO MORROW WE WILL GO INTO SUCH A CITY, AND CONTINUE THERE A YEAR, AND BUY AND SELL, AND GET GAIN: {14} WHEREAS YE KNOW NOT WHAT SHALL BE ON THE MORROW. FOR WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? IT IS EVEN A VAPOUR, THAT APPEARETH FOR A LITTLE TIME, AND THEN VANISHETH AWAY."

(ECCL 9:10) "WHATSOEVER THY HAND FINDETH TO DO, DO IT WITH THY MIGHT; FOR THERE IS NO WORK, NOR DEVICE, NOR KNOWLEDGE, NOR WISDOM, IN THE GRAVE, WHITHER THOU GOEST."

2. The sluggard doesn't complete the work that he starts.

(PROV 12:27) "THE SLOTHFUL MAN ROASTETH NOT THAT WHICH HE TOOK IN HUNTING: BUT THE SUBSTANCE OF A DILIGENT MAN IS PRECIOUS."

(PROV 19:24) "A SLOTHFUL MAN HIDETH HIS HAND IN HIS BOSOM, AND WILL NOT SO MUCH AS BRING IT TO HIS MOUTH AGAIN."

Here we see that the sluggard, even if he begins a task, falls short of completion.

3. The sluggard ignores opportunities.

4. The sluggard craves riches.

He will play the powerball or lottery before he will pay his bills.

He wants the blessings of prosperity without putting forth the effort to be productive.

(PROV 14:23) "IN ALL LABOUR THERE IS PROFIT: BUT THE TALK OF THE LIPS TENDETH ONLY TO PENURY." (PROV 28:19) "HE THAT TILLETH HIS LAND SHALL HAVE PLENTY OF BREAD: BUT HE THAT FOLLOWETH AFTER VAIN PERSONS SHALL HAVE POVERTY ENOUGH."